Why Templates Are Important

When it comes to CAD Standards, the very basic standard is a template. Why a template?

Templates are your biggest time saver and your easiest way to standardize. You already probably use templates and don't even realize it.

When you start Microsoft Word or your email program, you are creating a document based on a template. In Word, for example, the template that Word is using specifies what font is being used and what your margins are.

In AutoCAD (or any AutoCAD-based product), you don't want to take the time with each drawing you begin by adding layers, setting your dimension style, or changing options. For this reason, you create a template. You set a drawing up exactly the way you want it once, then you save it as a template.

In AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP, templates can involve even more. For example, AutoCAD MEP has various preferences and system definitions. These need to be set to make the most out of using the program efficiently. Once you have these set to your desired results, they should be part of your template.

Templates are .dwt files instead of .dwg files. They are easy to make. That's the topic of my presentation at this year's AU.

You can set your template to be QNEW in Options so that it always loads when you start the program or begin a new drawing.

Templates are the building block of CAD Standards and the most efficient start of saving time in AutoCAD.